DEWALT Drill Bit Set, Pilot Point, Cobalt Alloy Steel, 29-Piece (DWA1269)

These bits are nothing short of incredible, i do alot of machining on tough alloys, and also alot of general shop work with all sorts of materials. These preform well on most materials and cut great. They hold their cutting edge nicely and don't seem to dull even when abused. Im still on my first set i bought years ago. They dont work great for enlarging current holes unless you’re able todo it in a mill. To put into perspective just how good these drill bits are, we had a job come through that needed 800+ 3/8 holes drilled in 1/2” 4340 steel. 1 bit did the whole job and cut the last hole damn near as good as the first one. Normally id pony up and buy a carbide bit but the germans have figured out how to make one hell of a drill bit, Probably my favorite thing about these drill bits Is the fact that they cut a circular hole every time. Non of that walking around bs. 10/10 will buy more and stockpile incase they stop making them

DWA1269 - First, there's nothing wrong with the the metal case. Nothing special but nothing wrong. Next, in this era, this is a steal if you can buy this 29-piece M35 set for about USD120 or less.The differences between the 8 MIC and 21 MIG bits are the color, ring, and build (the 8 bits lack 'pilot points' hence may walk).The MIC bits can scratch the MIG bits but hardness does not mean quality. The MIG bits feel sharper and seem more well-designed and well-finished.Other than this, kinda tough to make any other meaningful side-by-side comparisons coz all bits are of progressive sizes.Not easy to find non-MIC M35 (5% Co) sets here unless you want things cheap. In fact, this might be the only set as of now.M42 (8% Co) + Made in the US? Easy. But you might need a drill press or the smaller bits might snap. They retail for about USD250 and upwards for a 29-piece set.It's just my belief that good things don't come cheap as cheap things don't come good.

The media could not be loaded. Just so we are clear, I am reviewing the "DEWALT Drill Bit Set, Pilot Point, Cobalt, 29-Piece (DWA1269)"1st thing, these are manufactured in GERMANY, not China. They have a nice heavy feel to them. Also appear to have a nice coat of oil on the bits.3/16 and larger bits have 3 flats ground. I personally prefer this so they don't spin in the chuck. These are also stamped "Made in Germany"11/64 bits and smaller do not have the 3 flats, nor "Made in Germany" stamp (too small most likely), but do say "HSS-CO" on them where the larger bits do not specify the metal grade.The index is FINE. What is everyone complaining about? This model came with the METAL index (not plastic). No sharp edges. A heavy coat of black paint. A nice fractional to metric conversion chart on the back. No bits fell out when I shook it upside-down. The labeling is a tad misaligned.See video of test drill with 1/4" bit through a piece of 1/4" thick 304L stainless steel. Proper lubrication, slow speed, and pressure. Make a good chip. No damage to the tip of the bit.

Dont waste your time and money on cheap bits

I'm amazed at how sharp these bits are and so far they are staying sharp after a fair amount of drilling- cutting through mild steel like butter. But I hate the index holder! The rows of bits are not separated and you are suppose to somehow read through the first row to find the size you need in the next two rows. HORRIBLE design! The index only open up to a 90 degree angle making it impossible to just leave on the bench with out tilting the entire box back to find the right bit. Remember the good old traditional index boxes, they open up well beyond 90 degrees because you're looking down at them. I did end up drilling holes through the box and hanging it on the wall which helps the view angle and gets it off my bench, which I like. I think the design was meant for this application and if so why didn't they provide pre-drilled holes inside the box instead of just the useless tab (with a hole) at the top. I gave this set 4 stars, only because of the clunky awful index box.

If used with cutting oil, these last a lifetime!

These work well. I bought them to drill approximately 1/8" (.125") stainless steel and they drilled through it with easy. I used a hand drill at low speed and sprayed it with WD40 (not the best cutting fluid) a couple of times.I bought some cobalt drill bit from harbor frieght with the mind set of how can they mess up cobalt drill bits. Was I wrong! They are probably the worse cobalt drill bits I've bought. Don't waste your time and money with harbor freight drill bits. Titanium, black oxide, and cobalt are all junk from there. Not only are the cutting edges on the cobalt bits junk from HF, they also are not true. Meaning their run-out is terrible! (they wobble) I understand hand drills have a slight a mount of run-out on the chucks sometimes, but when you use the HF drill bits they wobble when rolling on a flat surface. There were several drill bits on the lower end around 3/32" - 1/4" that weren't straight when rolling on a flat surface.Anyway, these dewalt drill bits are badass! (at least my set was). They cut through 1/8" Stainless sheet steel with ease. I'm sure they would cut through much thicker, I just haven't needed to use them on anything thicker at the moment.Good luck and God bless.

These bits are well worth the money. Been using them since April and haven't broke or dulled one yet.Have used them mostly on mild steel, but they have been used on hardened steel, aluminum, fiberglass, abs plastic, etc.They're made in Germany except for the smallest bits.The metal case has been great for me. (Other reviews seem to have issues with it, I don't see a problem).5/5 from me. Would buy again and again.For reference, I am a diesel tech for a large custom farming business, and we do all mechanical repairs, frame work, fabrication, etc.. - all in house. Most of which is on class 8 trucks.